Moderated by
Andrea Tuck, LCPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
I tackle and discuss a multitude of social and emotional health issues. I have a belief that through empowerment and non-judgmental support clients' can thrive.
Top Rated Answers
Sometimes it hard for those who love you to accept the fact that you may not be as happy as you once were. Personally, I had a lot of negative experiences with my parents about my depression and anxiety. When I turned 18, I sought help myself and it was discovered that I was Type 2 Bipolar. My parents immediately regretted their decision of not taking me to see a doctor when I first began recognizing that there was a problem. This was hard on them and myself. Sometimes you need to be firm and strict with those around you to let them know that this is serious and it is not a "phase" of gloominess or anything else. Urge those around you to research and accept the things that may be going on with you, and seek professional help if you believe it is necessary!
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 6:38pm
It depends on how people see others as depressed. They have their own point of view of what depression is or what depression look like or what depression will do to the one suffering of it.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 6:49am
I'm on the younger side of life, being 15 and all, and I tend to act positively when around people.
Because the majority of people think depression is all about sad and that's all , when the truth , it's not, it's way more than that, so people will assume that you are okay if you aren't sad
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 1:34pm
Because they have not been through it, if they have been through it, then they would feel the same way as you
Sometimes other people and their impressions of you are confusing. Thinking in black and white is unfair since there are likely some people who would believe you. Sometimes, neglecting a problem just because it's not bad enough could be the case.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 6:58pm
Basically it comes down to a person looking fine on the outside, walking and talking like a normal person. Feelings are invisible, and it's a very subjective interpretation, since humans have free will. This is why people say "snap out of it" and "think positive", they believe it's a will power thing. They lack understanding of what depression actually is. They equate it with just a really bad case of the "blues", or feeling really down, or maybe even profound sadness. The fact of the matter is, it's a whole different entity.
Because the oublic has got a misconception of depression. Classifying it under one category. If you show minor, self, social ect depression they will say you dont know depression. The public knows major depression
Anonymous
January 6th, 2016 2:36pm
Majority of the time it's not believing, it's accepting that someone has a difficult situation. It's difficult on both ends.
Usually those that don't believe your depressed don't understand or have never experience your situation. Naiveness
They are in denial. Some people dont know how to handle depression or they think that youre just making it up. If it were me id go to a psychiatrist to get all the tests done see of there are any other mental health issues. And possibly get meds or some kind of treatment
We live in a narcissistic society, where people usually care about themselves, and to usually care about how people will look at them... However there will be someone who will notice. They usually, don't really know how to approach you..Don't worry. Keep your head up. After the storm there will be peace. In addition you have this website to chat with the few individuals who actually cares.
Some people don't have open minds and don't beleiive in thing's such as mental health and depression, but if you have been diagnosed with depression by a doctor I wouldn't think too much about what other people think. You just need to concentrate on getting yourself better right now.
Except some people very dumb they know you are depressed and pretend you are not to keep the Peace in their relation with you.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 8:42am
Depressed people learn the art of disguising their pain because they don't want the people they love to worry about them. Even if they're dying inside, they are willing to seem happy and normal to make the the people who revolve around them happy. There are more reasons, but that's one of them.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 2:13pm
People often don't understand it. I've heard the sentences "but you don't look depressed","but you have a good life" so many time and I know how annoying it gets. Unfortunately,there is a lot of those people but I've met a lot of people who understood me,so don't worry.
Anonymous
January 7th, 2016 3:22pm
Depression is a complex illness that most people don't understand when they didn't experience it themselves. Only people that suffered from depression or the ones that know a lot about depression are able to understand depression and therefore are able to believe you.
Most other people will think it's just some kind of phase that you're in.
Sometimes I find that people are confused between depression and general passing sadness. Often depression doesn't manifest outwardly. You may be hiding it so well, that it is hard for people to understand and relate to your situation.
"Depressed" is a word that a lot of people use if they are only "sad" and haven't been diagnosed. People that have been diagnosed with depression are more so believed than others that have not been diagnosed yet but have a feeling they may be depressed.
That is a problem in our society yet. Depression was discovered late and still there are some people who dont belive it. If you didnt told that you are depressed to anyone in your family or your friends, they just dont know that you are depressed. However, if you did told then, and still, they dont belive, its because they dont know what depression is. But dont be even more worried about it, you can always come here at 7cups and find inspiration and color in your life to finaly talk seriously with your family about your depression, and they will belive in you.
Have hope.
Anonymous
January 8th, 2016 2:59pm
Sometimes people who are depressed try to put on the bravest of facades. We try to seem happy even though we really need help. Not many people know much about depression and other mental illnesses so they don't seem to understand that you could be depressed.
There are still a lot of stigmas around mental health. But there is also a whole wave of knowledge helping to bring light on this matter. Getting informed and sharing those infos can be help both you and those around you to understand depression a little better =)
Depression is such a misunderstood mental illness, people have a hard time understanding something they can't see. It also doesn't help that the word itself is used so often when it shouldn't be that it has almost started to lose meaning, which is terrible because depression is one of the hardest things for a person to go through.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2016 6:44am
In my experience, my parents just didn't want to believe I was depressed. I guess because they didn't want their daughter to go through the same things they went through, and they fooled themselves into thinking it was mind over matter. Also, most of us depressed people put on a pretty good facade to seem happy and "normal" at school or work, so when people who don't understand depression hear that we have it, they're likely to just brush it off. Which is dangerous for obvious reasons.
Depression, nowadays has been often been misunderstood for just feeling sad. Try explaining to the people how you're feeling and tell them about your depression, make it clear that it is very difficult to be depressed constantly. But also, if they don't believe you. You don't need them, you want to bring positivity into your life, so try blocking out all the little negative things.
Unfortunately, it's usually those who have never been through it, that do not understand. People who have never been depressed find it difficult to believe the condition exists because they have never experienced it first hand, but once you have, you get it.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 11:22am
Because you manage to function in public and when you are alone everything breaks down... its like a mask wearing all day to disguise your feeling
Anonymous
January 12th, 2016 4:24pm
It could be because you are acting happy in order to hide your depression, or maybe it could be because these people are, or have been depressed themselves and think that other people can't possibly be as depressed as them
Some people are still scared and not really accepting that depression is a thing today, it's a big issue.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2016 6:10pm
some people just don't want to believe it because they don't want you to be going though that so they think if they don't believe it its not true.
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